Dreaming Lies
by SecondStarRight
Summary: What if Michael had been killed when he found out he was wraith? What if Carson had tried again, using a different specimen? Meet "Aimee", an ex-wraith who now believes she's truly human. She even has memories of earth. Here's what happens…
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is my first fanfiction, like, _ever_, and I would appreciate reviews but just... don't be too harsh, okay?**

_What if Michael had been killed when he found out he was wraith? What if Carson had tried again, using a different specimen? Meet "Aimee", an ex-wraith who now believes she's truly human. She even has memories of Earth. Here's what happens… _

Ch1:  
>Dr. Elizabeth Weir didn't like <em>anything<em> about this new idea of Carson's; and she'd said so on multiple occasions, but even with her doubts about his new project, she had to admit that if he succeeded this time, they would gain valuable information about the wraith.

_If_ he succeeded.

"You have a go," Weir said, standing up, nodding to Carson. He nodded grimly back, and walked out of the meeting room, heading towards the infirmary to begin preparations.

"John, wait!" Weir called, jogging after Colonel John Sheppard, who paused and waited for her to catch up. "I _do not_ want a repeat of Michael. I want you to supervise the project. If even the smallest thing goes wrong, I'm giving you permission to take care of that wraith."

Sheppard nodded, understanding that 'take care of' actually meant _kill_.

Dr. Carson Beckett had never had much of a chance to get up close to a wraith; but recently his luck had run out, starting with the Michael fiasco and now _this_. Carson wondered what had possessed him try the experiment over, to try and turn a wraith into a human. Maybe he wanted to prove himself again, he always hated it when he failed at something, especially when someone died in the process, even if they'd killed a few people, even if it was a wraith.

The small wraith child, who lay strapped onto the hospital bed, ready to be injected with the retrovirus, ignored everything that went on around her, not even struggling as Michael had. She stared straight ahead, her large, dark eyes emotionless, maroon hair hanging straight down her back in long waves. Her dress was stained from blood from where she'd cut herself in one of her many attempts to escape.

"Doc, you sure you want to do this?" Sheppard asked, and Carson looked up to where the Colonel sat in the observation room, safe behind thick glass.

"Aye, I'm pretty sure it will work this time," Carson replied, carefully inserting the needle into the wraith girl's arm, at the same time adding some sedative so she would soon slip into a deep sleep.

"Turn it on," he ordered the assistant who stood next to the strange looking machine one of the teams had brought back from a recent mission. Its purpose was to take memories from people's minds and put them in others, so that it seemed as if they were almost real. Many personnel from around Atlantis had volunteered (and had been _persuaded…_) to donate some of their memories to the project. McKay had altered it a bit, allowing memories to be meshed together, creating a virtual reality for the wraith. Carson hoped that introducing the wraith to what life was like back on earth on a much deeper and more personal level would help sway her towards their cause once she eventually found out what she really was.

In a minute the wraith's eyes started to flutter, and she drifted off into a deep, dream filled, sleep…


	2. Chapter 2

Ch2:

**Aimee's Perspective**

Not that my life isn't great, because to tell you the truth it's pretty darn awesome, but sometimes I just feel as if it's… lacking something, if you know what I mean.  
><em>Lacking<em> as in its _boring_. Boring beyond compare. Nothing ever happens. I go to school. I do my homework. I practice the viola. I go to bed. Then I wake up and it starts all over again. Every day for as far back as I can remember is pretty much the same as the last, and the day before that, and the day before that.  
>Except for… nighttime. And my dreams.<br>I look forward to sleeping more than I probably should. I mean, that's what they say, isn't it? Don't dwell on dreams or whatever. You could go crazy. But the dreams… they give me this really creepy _rush_; a sudden boost of energy, a feeling of power as if I could do anything in the world and no one could stop me… even though all throughout the dream I can hear people screaming somewhere in the background, somewhere not in my little bubble of euphoria.  
>And when I wake up, my skin doesn't <em>feel<em> right, like I'm in the wrong shape or something, or maybe even the wrong _species_… because sometimes in my dreams, I catch a glimpse of stars, and not how they look from the ground, like how they look in all of those science fiction shows on TV.  
>I like to imagine I'm an alien some days.<br>The name's Aimee, by the way. Aimee Beckett.

**Carson's Perspective**

Carson watched the wraith's eyelids flicker, lost somewhere in the virtual reality created just for her. McKay had thought it would be funny to have her last name be Beckett, like his, because according to him, Carson spent most of his time in there; checking on the machines hooked up to her, making sure she wouldn't wake up and didn't feel a single twinge of pain from retrovirus.  
>If someone didn't know about Aimee's true species, they would have mistaken her for a human, and even then…<br>As Carson left the room, heading towards his quarters, he bumped into Weir (literally) as he was turning a corner.  
>"Sorry! I didn't see you there, Dr. Weir," He said, jumping out of her way. Weir smiled,<br>"That's fine," They both started to walk in opposite directions, but then Weir's voice rang out behind him, "How is the experiment doing?"  
>Carson flinched. He had known that she would eventually get around to asking that, and he'd have to answer honestly. The truth was, Carson didn't like the experiment. He didn't like lying to people, even though many days it was necessary, and he didn't like hurting people, especially children, even it was a wraith.<br>"Very well, actually. I'm planning to wake her up tomorrow… _without_ Ronan in the room. Just myself, and Teyla, since she seemed to be able to calm Michael a bit… and probably a few other key personnel… I'm still trying to figure out what to tell her."  
>"Not the truth, yet."<br>"No. Not yet. We'll have to wait and see how she does…" He trailed off and they started on their separate ways; Carson once again wondering why he'd wanted to do this again…

**Aimee's Perspective**

Eighth grade.  
>Who here's gone through eighth grade? Don't be shy, raise your hands, and be proud that you <em>survived<em>. I'm in eighth grade right now; I'm the one of the oldest kids in school, I survived past sixth and seventh grades.  
>People lie when they tell you that sixth grade is hard because it's such a <em>big<em> transition. All those teachers are looking out for you, making sure you know which way you're going, how to unlock your locker, making sure middle school is just _the best _time ever for you. Seventh grade is okay too, it's all downhill, easy peasy.  
>It's not sixth grade or seventh grade you have to worry about.<br>It's eighth grade.  
>We're thrown into eighth grade, expected to be brilliant role models… all the while worrying night and day about high school; all those tests you have to take (and pass) if you want to get in. It's <em>stressful<em>, man, I'm telling you!  
>But right now, I would give anything to be back in stressful eighth grade, back in my boring old life, living each day for the dreams that came at night, instead of <em>here<em>.  
>One moment I'm blissfully walking the halls of school heading towards P.E. when, and it's almost as if I'm <em>waking up<em>, I find myself _here_; strapped to a hospital bed, in a room that looks strangely familiar, a place that brings me feelings of fear and sad resignation, surrounded by people who look strangely familiar… but _not_ at the same time.  
>"Doctor Beckett, I believe she is awake." One of them said.<br>_Doctor Beckett_! Wow, that's just like my dad's name-  
>A person steps into view, and I gasp.<br>"_Dad!_"

**Carson's Perspective**

Carson sighs.  
><em>Damn. McKay took this too far. Giving her the same last name as me… but making her believe I'm her <em>dad_? Aye, that's too far.  
><em>Carson and Teyla exchanged glances.  
>What was he going to tell Dr. Weir?<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Ch3:

**Carson's Perspective**

From the moment the wraith- _Aimee_, he had to keep reminding himself- woke, Carson's day had gotten worse. Much worse.  
>For one thing, Weir had <em>not<em> been happy when she had learned about the wraith's connection to Carson. He'd tried to explain that it had been McKay, but even then, things had not gone well. The wraith was now his responsibility, just until they broke the news to her that Carson wasn't really her father… and that really _was_ the worst part of Carson's day; the knowledge that one day in the near future he'd have to tell her that he wasn't really her loving father… just the doctor that had created the retrovirus that had changed her from her own species and into another one entirely.  
>She'd probably think of him like… almost a <em>murderer<em>, taking away her identity, the very thing that made her who she was.  
>Carson sat in his office late that night, staring at the computer screen, unable to sleep, not that he slept a lot these days, anyway…<p>

_Morning of the next day…_  
>"Dr. Beckett," A voice said from the door way, and Carson startled awake, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and moving the mouse on his computer so it looked as if he hadn't fallen asleep and had been working.<br>"Teyla, what can I do for you?"  
>Teyla stepped into the room, obviously coming from the gym and one of her sparring sessions with Ronan or Sheppard.<br>"I was wondering if you'd spoken with Aimee yet."  
>Carson sighed, knowing that he'd eventually have to talk with the wraith.<br>"No, I haven't. I've been… uh, busy." Carson mentally slapped himself. _Teyla already knows you were sleeping! What's the point of trying to cover it up?  
><em>"Yes. I can see that… I will speak with her if you want; using the story you came up with earlier."  
>"Thank you. That would be great." Carson turned back to his computer as Teyla started to leave.<br>"And, Dr. Beckett? You know that you will have to speak with her soon yourself, don't you?"  
>Carson sighed again, rubbing his forehead and wondering if his coffee was still hot.<p>

**Aimee's Perspective**

This place is…. Like no other place I've ever seen before, but strangely familiar, especially the weird circular gate like thing with the symbols on it. It seems to be a city, floating in the middle of a deep blue ocean.  
>Dad said that this place is called Atlantis; you know, like that lost sunken city or whatever. But apparently the stories are true….Except it's on another planet entirely which is <em>completely<em> beyond me. It's even crazier than elimination and substitution in math class.  
>Speaking of dad, he seems… <em>different<em>. He looks the same, talks the same, _is_ the same, but… different. He's more real seeming somehow. Actually, everything around here seems more real, it's as if all my senses have been heightened, as if the mute has been taken off of my viola.  
>It's unnerving, <em>extremely <em>unnerving, even more so than that time I watched "Zombieland" all alone at home because it was rated R, and I wasn't allowed to watch rated R things.  
>I'm still afraid of zombies to this very day, and I'm pretty sure that nothing could be worse than zombies.<br>Unfortunately, all too soon, I'd be proved wrong. Very wrong.  
>The door to the room slid open with barely a whisper of sound as I stood staring out the window of my room across the rest of the city and to the ocean beyond.<br>"Hello. May I come in?" It's the woman from earlier, who was standing near the hospital bed when I woke up.  
>"Um… sure, I guess," I say. Something you need to know about me is that I have a problem with meeting new people. It's called being shy, just to clarify it with you folks.<br>"I'm Teyla Emmagan; I'm a friend of Dr. Beckett's… your father."  
>"Yeah, I remember you. You were there when I woke up. How did I get here anyway?"<br>Teyla motioned towards a chair.  
>"Let's sit down."<br>We both sat and she hesitated for a split second, a flash of nervousness crossing her face, and I wondered why she could possibly be nervous about speaking with me. Maybe she's shy, too.  
>"That's actually what I've come to talk with you about. What's the last thing that you remember?"<br>"Well…. I was walking through school, on my way to P.E when suddenly… I was here, waking up."  
>Teyla nodded, deep in thought.<br>"You were dreaming; having flashbacks of your life. You'd been injured very badly."  
>"How? I don't remember any of this; getting to Atlantis, getting hurt or whatever. All of this. All I remember is.. Well, my life. And that seemed real."<br>Teyla frowned. "We were worried that you would not remember anything at all. You came through the gate with your father, after your mother died in a car accident -"  
>"Wait. An…. Accident? That's… that's not possible!"<br>"I am sorry for your loss. It seems that you have forgotten some things that happened before your injury when the wraith attacked Atlantis."  
>Wraith.<br>When I heard that, I thought of my dreams; of the strange dark place I walked through, and of the feeling of power and energy suddenly rushing into me-  
>Teyla and I talked for another hour or so, getting me up to date on what everything was, how I'd gotten here; about the Stargate and the wraith, all of that. But throughout our conversation, there was only one thought in my mind pushing everything else aside.<br>I was hungry.  
>But not for food.<p>

**Carson's Perspective**

Carson grabbed a Jell-O and sat at one of the tables near a window, hoping that no one would disturb him so he could just eat this one meal in peace.  
>Five minutes passed, and he relaxed, convinced that if he'd been left alone for this long then he'd be left alone for the rest of his time in the cafeteria.<br>Not so fast-  
>Walking across the floor towards him, escorted by two guards, was the wraith.<br>Correction; Aimee, his daughter.  
>Carson had never been very good in all of the drama and theatre classes he'd had to take in his school days; he had a problem staying in character, and that's what he worried about the most when he was around Aimee. Of course, he'd only been near her for an hour or so yesterday and he'd managed to retain the mask of being a doting father, but <em>still<em>.  
>"Hey, dad," She said, sitting down across from him.<br>"Hello," He replied, and it was like that for a few seconds; awkward silence. Nervously, Carson fiddled with his Jell-O.  
><em>Pull yourself together, man! She's supposed to be your daughter- <em>Carson thought, _But I've never had a daughter. What do I do?_  
>"Are you okay? Are you being treated well?" <em>Yeah, nice going Carson. Way to sound like a therapist.<em>  
>"Um… yeah." Aimee glanced back at the guards, "I was just wondering… like, why you never told us that you… worked off world. This is big, you've been… putting your life in danger and you didn't tell mom and me? This is <em>huge,<em> dad! Why didn't you say something?"  
>Carson hadn't considered the possibility that he'd been married in the virtual reality. This situation was just getting more and more complicated.<br>He saw one of the guards smirk and made a mental note to remember him for revenge later.  
>"I… was sworn to secrecy. I signed a contract. I <em>couldn't <em>tell you. I'm sorry,"  
>"Couldn't or wouldn't?"<br>"Would you have believed me if I had told you?"  
>Carson forced himself to look into her eyes, trying to remember that she wasn't really his daughter, that he shouldn't be feeling any sort of guilt. She was just a wraith, and he had to lie to her to keep Atlantis and earth safe.<br>But she seemed so _human_, so real, and so _hurt_, as if he'd somehow betrayed her.  
>Carson shook his head to clear his thoughts and opened his mouth to say something, though he wasn't sure what, when his earpiece crackled and Sheppard's voice almost hollered into his ear,<br>"We need you in the gate room! And bring the wraith, too."  
>"Why? What's happened?"<br>"Wraith hive ships. Four of them. Just dropped out of hyper space."  
>Carson sighed.<br>Why, oh _why_, did he never get to eat his lunch in peace?


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I changed the 14 wraith ships to _4_ ships. Random number. I should probably think before putting random numbers in.

Also... this chapter is a bit short and rushed. Been very busy recently.

Ch4:

**Aimee's Perspective**

"Wait! What's happening?" I followed dad, dodging an annoyed looking marine with a lunch tray. Dad shook his head, looking worried.  
>"We have to get to the gate room,"<br>"But…"  
>I almost had to jog to keep up with him, his white doctor's coat billowing behind him. My guards followed closely behind me, and I noticed they both had one hand on their guns. And that's when I realized… everyone was acting so… nervous around me, like they were scared of me and not doing a very good job of hiding. Or, like that one guy, Ronan or whatever, looked as if they wanted to strangle me every time I got near them.<br>Something… _weird_ is going on here; but I just can't out my finger on what it is.  
>"Dad, at least tell me what's going on!"<br>Dad glances back at me, sorrow clouding his eyes.  
>"I'm sorry, Aimee, I can't." And he sounds genuinely sorry, but it's as if he has to force himself to say my name, as if he has to think to remember it.<br>And that hurts, because, you know, he's my dad.

**Carson's Perspective**

When he got to the gate room, things were getting pretty chaotic and out of control.  
>"You brought her?" Sheppard asked, looking over past Carson.<br>"It's her fault! She brought them here!" Ronan snarled, immediately pointing his gun at her, eyes narrowed in suspicion, or, _accusation_.  
>"Wait," Teyla gently touched his arm, "She has no memory of her past life, among them"<br>"Oh, I think she does. She's just lying. Probably talking with her little wraith friends right now," Ronan continued.  
>Carson sighed. Teyla had let it slip. She'd said <em>past life among them<em>. Aimee's face was filled with confusion, and her eyes darted anxiously back and forth from person to person; some pitying, some accusing like Ronan, others not even caring, just focusing on their various computer screens, monitoring the wraith's progress.  
>"I'm sorry if I did something wrong," She said, hesitant, "But I don't know what you're talking about."<br>"Aye. We only just got here." Carson added, for some reason feeling the odd need to stand up for her.  
>"Four wraith ships. What more do you need to know?" McKay snapped, fingers pausing for a split second from tapping on his laptop.<br>"We have no power for shields or weapons, and if we lifted the cloak then they'd know that we're still down here, very much alive," Dr. Weir said turning towards Carson.  
>"And what does this have to do with me, or, actually, Aimee?"<br>"I've come up with a plan," McKay interrupted, and was about to continue when one of the other people in the room called,  
>"We're getting a signal! They're trying to communicate with us!"<br>The room was dead silent, all eyes turning towards Dr. Weir.  
>"Let's hear what they have to say, and then we'll know whether to respond or not."<br>Another silence and then-  
>"We know you're still down there. Give us back what is rightfully ours, and we will spare Lieutenant Ford's life. Respond in the next hour, or you will hear his screams as he dies."<br>Silence again, while all waited for the shock to sink in.  
>"<em>Ford<em>!" Sheppard groaned.  
>"What should we do?" Teyla asked, "And what did he mean when he said 'give us back what is rightfully ours'?"<br>"He _meant_, the wraith," Ronan snarled, "And I say we hand her over."  
>"<em>Hold on<em>! I'm not a wraith!" Aimee protested, though nobody heard her, all arguing loudly.  
>This may be the only good chance we have to get Ford off the enzyme!" Sheppard started, turning towards Weir, who sighed and looked at Carson.<br>"We need to think this through. We are not handing her over. We're not going to reveal our position to the wraith. And we'll _try_ to get Lieutenant Ford back, though he is a security risk."  
>Aimee stepped forward.<br>"I'm not a wraith."


End file.
